The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-03-23
vi Correspondence.
THE FARMER MUST BE EDU-
GATED.

EDITOR PROGRESSIVE FARMER
There are various opinions enter
tanned by different farmers respect
ing the cultivation of the soil to pro-
duce the greatest yield per acre,
which is natural, but the farmer who
cultivates best always wins. Let it.
be universally understood that thrift
and progress depend upon the sue
cessful cultivation of the soil, and
not or mining, manufacturing, mer-
chandising, &C., as a great many
seem to think, or wish to think. In
a word, let me say, if you stop the
pillow you stop the pigs from squeal-
ing. Hence it is necessary to fully
understand how to manage the farm
interests of this and all other nations.
1t is not unfrequent you hear men
say, 81 do not care to educate my
son, because he can only be a farmer,
and therefore needs no education;
any man can pillow and hoe" oh,
what a mistake! There is more sci
entifc education required in prose-
cutting the farm interest properly than
all other occupations combined. The
progressive farmer must thoroughly
understand the nature of the soil,
how to cultivate it, and how to pre-
serve it. Is it reasonable to suppose
that an uneducated man can under
stand all these things properly? No
The progressive farmer never wears
out $50 called) his lands, but i'm
proves them, and, to do so, he must
understand farming as a science. 1t
IS a science, and should be thoroughly
studied and properly understood.
Let us view the farm as it is, and, as
it should be. When we look around
the country we see vast lands worn
out (so-called,) with great cutters
through them. What a lesson COM
bined in this declaration, and what
proof of the fact that the farmer
should be educated. The facts as
proven are, the farmer (so-called) did
not understand how to cultivate and
preserve his lands from the ruin
that awaits them; but for this lack
there would be no old fields, $50
called,D but a rich, fertile soil and
the farmer in a prosperous and thriv-
ing condition, instead of poverty and
ruin, with unredeemable mortgages
hanging over him, staring his soil
cum farm in the face and ready to
wrest it from its owner and turn it
overprobably to a less prosperousand
more thriftless tenant than it's former
owner. But it Is said we live in a
progressive age, which is true in
some respects, but not all, and the
main is the most neglected-the farm.
The farm is the fulcrum upon which
the lever rests that keeps in motion
the sixty million inhabitants of this
government, say nothing of the re-
naming portions Of the world. Let
the farm interest be looked after
first. Business always before pleas
ure. The happiness and prosperity
of this and all nations depend upon
the proper cultivation and p%reserva-
ton of the soil. Oh, the many good
farmer boys that have been ruined
by trying to make lawyers, doctors
and preachers out Of themselves.
They are like a fish out of water,
never fatten-neither grow rich.
Now to return to the proper cul-
tivation of the soil: AS above stated,
he who cultivates best always wins,
is true. An old maxim is, pillow deep
while sluggards sleep, and you'll
have corn to sell and keep, is true
to some extent, but this should be
done with care. Lands should never
be turned more than from four to
eight inches and some lands even
less than four inches. This, however,
depends upon the soil and the situa-
ton of it, and if deeper cultivation
is necessary, go after the turn pillow
with a small sub-soiler, and 60 just
as deep as your team cal carry or
draw the pillow. The land thus pre-
pared will, with ordinary seasons,
produce a good yield.
Had [ the time / would delight in
writing articles on agriculture, but
will stop for the present. Hoping
that the farm interest will be looked
after better in the future, as all men
know that the farmer has to feed all,
Nclothe all, and pay all-if paid at all.
\ VERITAs.